Senate affirm Trump's selection for counterterrorism position, disregarding Democrats' reservations about his prior affiliations with extremist groups
New Director of National Counterterrorism Center Has Controversial Background
Joe Kent, a former U.S. Army soldier and CIA officer, has been appointed as the new director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Kent, who served 11 combat tours over a 20-year career in the Army, was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-44 vote.
Kent's military background includes enlisting as an infantryman at age 18, serving in the elite Ranger Regiment, and then the Army Special Forces ("Green Berets"). He also served in the CIA after his military career. During his confirmation hearing, Kent emphasized plans to focus agency resources on Latin American gangs and criminal groups linked to migration.
However, Kent's confirmation has been met with controversy due to concerns about his past associations with far-right extremists and white nationalist sympathizers. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, described Kent as a "conspiracy theorist who espouses white supremacist views and is patently unqualified for this important role."
Kent has had to disavow past interactions with figures like Nazi sympathizer Greyson Arnold and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes during his congressional campaigns. Despite these allegations, Kent had the support of Senate Republicans and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, for whom Kent had already been working prior to his confirmation.
One of the most contentious issues surrounding Kent's appointment is his alleged politicizing of intelligence. Kent has been criticized for asking an intelligence analyst to "update" an assessment that undercut Trump's rationale for invoking the Alien Enemies Act. Additionally, Kent defended his participation in a Signal chat that inadvertently included a journalist in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth detailed plans about a military operation in Yemen.
Kent has also spoken in favor of insurrectionists charged with storming the US Capitol, describing some as "political prisoners" who were not being afforded due process. However, Kent opposed those who attacked police officers during the storming of the US Capitol.
Despite the controversy, Kent has a deep, practical understanding of the enduring and evolving threat of Islamist terrorism, as well as threats from cartels' human trafficking and drug trafficking operations. Kent's first wife, Shannon, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria while serving as a Navy cryptologist.
The National Counterterrorism Center analyzes terrorism-related intelligence and maintains a database of known and suspected terrorists. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas supported Kent's confirmation, stating that he understands the grave threat that terrorism poses to Americans. CNN has reached out to Kent for comment.
- The new director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has focused on plans to direct agency resources towards dealing with Latin American gangs and criminal groups linked to migration, which falls under the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation.
- Kent's controversial confirmation, due to concerns about his past associations with far-right extremists and white nationalist sympathizers, has raised questions about the politicization of intelligence, a topic that intertwines with the broader context of war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice.
- The appointment of Joe Kent as the new director of the National Counterterrorism Center has drawn general-news coverage, highlighting the ongoing debates regarding his suitability for the role and the potential impacts on terrorism-related intelligence and legislation.
